The president says he highly values the level of partnership and shares the conviction that there is a lot of potential for further strengthening business and humanitarian ties

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is confident that his visit to Greece on May 27-28 will deepen mutual understanding between Russia and Greece. In order to emphasize the efficiency and creative atmosphere of the visit, the Russian president wrote an article for a leading Greek Kathimerini daily.

"The current relations between Russia and Greece are based on pragmatism and trust. We highly value the level of partnership we have been able to achieve and share the conviction that there is a lot of potential for further strengthening our business and humanitarian ties," the president wrote.

Putin praised the outcome of the visit, where he met with the president of Greece, held detailed talks with the prime minister, which resulted in signing of a package of documents, visited Athos in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the presence of Russian monasticism on the mountain.

"The visit took place in an atmosphere of trust, and had a very busy schedule. The talks revealed that Russia and Greece are in synch on most issues. Most importantly, we are talking to each other not just as partners, but as old friends, which is largely attributable to the centuries-old spiritual and cultural affinity between our peoples," Putin wrote.

The president thanked the Greek colleagues for hospitality during the visit, saying, "I was genuinely moved by the cordial, warm welcome accorded to the Russian delegation in your country."